Archive for September, 2011

On Friday, September 23, a small boat that was trying to get to Italy carrying 65 Kurds and Afghans sans-papiers, broke 90 miles southwest of the island of Zakynthos. When port police reached the vessel only 32 immigrants were aboard. A helicopter participating in the rescue operation managed to save 30 immigrants that have fallen in the sea. Late in the afternoon, the same helicopter discovered the bodies of 3 sans-papiers who drowned at sea.

PALERMO
The elderly lock themselves in the house, the kids put a handkerchief to their mouth while the column of smoke blown by the mistral invades. Smell of plastic, scrap metal, burnt rubber. “A toxic cloud – dare someone – who knows how much crap we are breathing.” The sky turns from blue to gray, the airport closes, the police are unleashed to to look for hundreds of escaped Tunisians. Read the rest of this entry »

In the recent days repeated racist attacks take place in various neighbourhoods of Athens.

Last night (September 16), 2 Afghan immigrants were attacked outside their home. When they saw a group of thugs approaching, scared they tried to run away but did not manage to escape. The gangs attacked them leaving one stabbed! The victim suffered two wounds, one next to the heart and another one just below. One person was arrested but the rest of the fascist gangs escaped and continued their attacks at St. Panteleimonas square beating up another Afghan. St Panteleimonas neighbourhood is one of the areas with large immigrant population in Athens and has become a point of reference for violent racist attacks. Immigrants are constantly experiencing verbal and physical abuses by the extreme far-right faction “Chrisi Avgi” (Golden Dawn)

An organized illegal persecution, also, against Pakistani immigrants took place in Aspropyrgos (a working class area of Athens). More than twenty four were left wounded and transferred to Evangelismos hospital.

On 15th of September, Kouvelou squat in Maroussi (northern suburb of Athens) was hit by arson in the middle of the night, at around 3 am on September 14th. The roof collapsed and four rooms destroyed.

Last Saturday, 10th of September, in the same area, around 40 right wing thugs with bats and other weapons gathered on late afternoon close to the suburban train station. They stopped a public bus, held it for 15 minutes and attacked 4 immigrants that were on it. Then, they invaded at least ten houses and destroyed immigrants’ property. Around 11pm, at the house of Sampir Hussein, the same fascist gang went to the extend of drawing guns. Two people that were at home were shot – the bullet passed close to the shoulder of one.Just outside the Aspropyrgos Police Station the same gang broke the car of a Pakistani immigrant who went there to report the attack at his house! The head of the local police said that the officers searched for the attackers, but did not find anyone!

Moreover, last Sunday, September 11 attacks unleashed again in St. Panteleimon leaving ten Afghans wounded.

On Thursday, September 8, a group of far-right thugs attacked Pakistani immigrants in the area around Village Park in Rendi. Around 16:30 they got on the bus 703, forced a group of Pakistani immigrants to get off the bus and beat them up.

According to witnesses of residents and immigrants, similar attacks took place also throughout the month of August by fascist groups of 15-20 people leaving dozens of Pakistani immigrants wounded.

In the area of Aghioi Anargyroi, ten days ago, they stabbed one immigrant from Bangladesh and attempted to set fire to a place of worship.

According to KEERFA n Saturday September 10th an organized pogrom against Pakistani immigrants took place in Aspropyrgos, Athens. More than 25 immigrants were wounded – four of them were hospitalized.
Forty thugs with bats and other weapons gathered on late afternoon close to the suburban train station. From there they started the assaults. hey stopped a public bus, held it for 15 minutes and attacked 4 immigrants that were on it.
Then, they invaded at least ten houses and destroyed immigrants’ property. In some cases they even destroyed the roof. They broke furniture and stole systematically laptops, mobile phones and money.
Around 11pm, at the house of Sampir Hussein, the same fascist gang went to the extend of drawing guns. Two people that were at home were shot – the bullet passed close to the shoulder of one.

AND THE POLICE? Outside the Aspropyrgos Police Station the same gang broke the car of a Pakistani immigrant who went there to report the attack at his house by the same gang! Four or five cars of the gang had followed the immigrant up to the door of Aspropyrgos Police Station! The head of the local police said that police officers searched for the attackers, but did not find anyone!

The pogrom is an escalation of systematic fascist violence in Athens. Ten days ago, in the neighborhood of Aghioi Anargyroi, fascists stabbed an immigrant from Bangladesh and burned a mosque.

Yesterday we received a phone-call from relatives of Syrian refugees, who have been prisoners in Fylakio (Northern Greece) since a few days:

Today I talked with somebody who was released a few days ago from Fylakio prison about his experiences there. He didn’t want to talk about it first. He said he didn’t want me to feel sorry for something that happened to him, and make me suffer, me and my family. But I said to him: “Tell me the whole truth. The people have to know what happens in there!” Read the rest of this entry »

The No Border camp set-up began a week before the opening, with lots of preparation work like digging trenches for water supply, and building infrastructure.

One of the aims of the camp was raising the issue of the border locally, and supporting and extending local solidarity work.

Film screenings and discussions took place in local villages in the run up to the camp, where there were really interesting conversations with local people on the frontline of the border regime, who told stories of meeting people crossing the border in search of safety and security. Read the rest of this entry »

On Saturday afternoon immigrants held in the detention center of Fylakio, Evros, set fire to mattresses.
Border police forced the inmates out of the building, where they were guarded by riot police units, while fire brigade that arrived from the city of Orestiada managed to put out the fire.
One immigrant was transferred by ambulance to the Medical Center of Orestiada.

Only recently the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) denounced that for almost a month, there has been no medical care to immigrants and asylum seekers in detention in Evros region.

Meanwhile, greek navy and coast police keep searching for survivors from early Saturday shipwreck near the island of Kefalonia. Unfortunately the number of dead will probably rise to 19.

Hundreds of migrants among those who began coming to Greece in the early 1990 in order to seek a better life for themselves and their families, are packing up their belongings, vacating their homes, mustering their courage and setting off for the one-way journey back home, compelled by the economic crisis. Read the rest of this entry »